By India Today News Desk: Two women Naxalites, collectively carrying a reward of Rs 28 lakh on their heads, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday.

The encounter took place in Kadla forest area under Garhi police station limits in the wee hours on Saturday.

The deceased Naxalites were identified as Sunita, an Area Committee Member (ACM) and Commander of Bhoramdev Committee, a wing of the Maoists, and Sarita Khatia Mocha, ACM and active in Vistar Dalam, he said.

Both of them were carrying a reward of Rs 14 lakh each.

WEAPONS RECOVERED

The Balaghat Police recovered guns, cartridges, a large quantity of weapons from the women Naxalites. Police have launched an intensive search operation in the forest.

Grappling with Naxalite problems for decades, the Balaghat Police had successfully killed six notorious Naxalites last year. Balaghat Zone’s Inspector General of Police Sanjay Kumar, Superintendent of Police Sameer Saurabh, and Hawkforce CO reached the spot after getting information about the Naxalite encounter.

(With inputs from Atul Vidya)